19 Chapter 18
Though his meeting with Nezu didn't last for more than a few minutes, Izuku was still surprised to see a seemingly inseparable duo waiting near UA's front entrance.
Waiting until he had reached the duo's side, the smile on Izuku's face broadened as he mused, "Hey, there, Ochaco-san, Tsuyu-chan. Is today my lucky day, or are the two of you waiting for someone else~?"
Returning a bright but timid smile, Ochaco revealed, "We actually wanted to apologize for yesterday. We shouldn't have ignored you, even if it was only for a short while."
Nodding her head, Tsuyu added, "It's my fault, ribbit. My baa-chan always told me to be wary of boys who were quick to compliment multiple girls. I thought you might have an ulterior motive, ribbit..."
Rubbing the back of his head, Izuku casually admitted, "To be fair, that's not far from the truth. It's just that rather than seeking to take advantage of you, I simply want to be your friend. After all, friendship is a foundation atop which many things can be built."
Mirroring Izuku's actions, a sheepish chuckle emanated from Ochaco's throat while Tsuyu stared up at him and offered one of her characteristic ribbits. Then, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket, she suggested, "If that's the case, we should exchange contact information. I'm not used to using my phone, but I'll respond if you send me a text, ribbit."
Realizing the 'true' reason Ochaco and Tsuyu had waited for him, Izuku's smile broadened as he answered, "Of course. I only have three people in my saved contacts, so I'm happy to have more."
Pulling out his phone, Izuku was about to hand it over but stopped upon noticing he had several text notifications.
"Oh? I have thirteen missed texts from Mina-san. Do you mind if I read them real quick? I can also give you my number verbally. That way, you can just send me a text, and I can save your information directly."
With Tsuyu agreeing to his proposition, Izuku recited his phone number aloud while thumbing through the messages Mina had sent him. The first was her informing him that an 'ambush' awaited him at the front entrance, but the rest concerned his meeting with the Principal, asking if he was in trouble and if there was anything she could do to help.
("How cute...")
In the midst of reading the texts, Izuku received a text alert from an unknown number. What awaited him when he opened it was a cartoon frog emoji, making it very clear who sent the message.
Suppressing the urge to comment on Tsuyu's adorable behavior out loud, Izuku quickly typed, 'Keep this up, and I'll save your phone number under the listing 'Cute Frog.''
Receiving a text notification, Tsuyu opened it before becoming statuesque at its contents. A faint blush colored her cheeks, but what surprised Izuku the most was her response, stating, 'I don't mind, ribbit...'
Adopting a broad smile, Izuku thought, ("It appears our little frog friend is more comfortable with texts than speaking aloud...")
Before Izuku could type a response, he received a second message from an unknown number. This was obviously from Ochaco, but the contents left Izuku a little speechless as it was a literal wall of text without spaces or punctuation...
Seeing the stupefied look on Izuku's face, Ochaco held her somewhat dated-looking phone up as if trying to hide behind it, stammering, "Sorry, Izuku-kun. The space key on my phone doesn't work too well, ehehehe..."
Contrasting the smartphones carried by Izuku and Tsuyu, Ochaco's was a pale ink flip phone. It strangely suited her, but Izuku's expression became serious as he declared, "We're getting you a new phone this weekend. If a brand-new one is too excessive, I'll upgrade mine to the latest model and give you this one. No buts."
"Eh...?"
Failing to process Izuku's words, Ochaco's expression blanked for several seconds. When the gears in her mind eventually started turning again, her face became bright red as she waved her hand violently, exclaiming, "You can't! I mean, I really appreciate the offer, but that's just too much, Izuku-kun!"
Shaking his head, Izuku firmly asserted, "You will accept it, Ochaco-san. If you refuse, I may have to resort to 'extreme' measures. Besides, I still owe you for returning my sword to me. Gifting you a ¥100,000 phone is a pittance compared to the ¥13,000,000 you returned to me."
Blinking in surprise, Tsuyu questioned, "You own a ¥13,000,000 sword? That's surprisingly childish coming from you, Izuku-chan."
"..."
Unable to suppress the urge to defend himself, Izuku revealed, "Before enrolling in the Department of Heroes, I seriously considered joining the Support or Business Departments. I have a knack for managing finances and modifying the patents for support items. I can't tell you exactly how much I earn, but it's enough that I could retire right now and not have to worry about the future. That's the benefit of having a Quirk that enhances brain power."
While Ochaco had, once again, become statuesque, Tsuyu brought her finger up to her lips and remarked, "If that's the case, I think I'm starting to understand why you're so different from the other boys in class. You've already secured your future while the rest of us are just starting to figure things out, ribbit..."
Adopting a somewhat proud smile, Izuku explained, "Just as friendship is the foundation for all kinds of relationships, financial security is the trunk from which countless paths branch. And that's why...!"
Surprising Ochaco immensely, Izuku pointed directly at her face as he appended, "You 'must' accept the phone I give you! If you don't, I won't be able to restrain my curiosity. I'll uncover the reason you're unable to acquire one on your own and then do everything in my power to remedy it! That's my kind of Plus Ultra...!"
Though his words and actions were more than a little excessive, the truth of the matter was that Izuku felt obligated to ensure the safety and well-being of those related to the canon plot. He didn't consider himself a truly selfless person, but if he ignored the consequences of his obfuscation of fate, he would do more harm to this world than good. That was one of the reasons Izuku joined the Hero Course. If the students of Class 1-A died while he was fooling around in the Support or Business Departments, he would likely spend the rest of his life regretting it...
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With Ochaco eventually agreeing to accept his old phone, the trio made their way to the station, hanging out for a bit before parting ways when the sky began to darken. During the train ride and subsequent walk home, Izuku's phone was practically blowing up with texts from Mina and Tsuyu. The latter was surprisingly talkative when she didn't have to speak aloud, so Izuku ultimately invited her, Ochaco, and Mina to a group chat before shifting his focus elsewhere.
Assuming the USJ incident would wrap up fairly quickly with All Might still in possession of One-for-All, Izuku flipped open the journal recording his progress and detailing his plans for the future. All Might appearing as one of the teachers of Class 1-A had derailed things quite a bit, but not to the extent he had to rework everything.
Though his chances were slim, especially with Todoroki in the running, Izuku was determined to secure first place in the UA Sports Festival. Not because he cared about being number one but because he was trying to earn the attention of a certain bunny girl.
By focusing his combat style around speed and kicking power, Izuku was hoping to catch the attention of Mirko, the Hero Billboard Chart's Eighth-Ranked Hero. There were three reasons for this. First and foremost, Mirko was incredibly hot. Secondly, she was one of the few Pros that didn't own or belong to a Hero Agency. In other words, by interning under her, Izuku believed he would have greater freedom than most other interns.
While the reasons above were both important, it was his belief that Mirko would make an excellent coach and training partner that compelled Izuku to apprentice/intern under her. He might have to suffer a bit, but having an attractive and exceptionally fierce teacher would motivate him to improve a hell of a lot faster than if he trained under someone like All Might. Not to mention that, much like Mirko, Izuku was determined to live a life without regrets...
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As the Vice-Class Representative of Class 1-A, Izuku was expected to show up much earlier than the other students. Fortunately, he wasn't the only one as Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, and Sero were also present, the latter two on morning duty.
Spotting Izuku the moment he entered the classroom, Yaoyorozu rose to her feet, smiling as she said, "Good morning, Midoriya-kun. Were you able to sleep well last night? I, personally, experienced some difficulty. I kept replaying the incident that transpired during lunch in my mind, plagued by the notion I could have handled things better..."
By the time she was finished speaking, Yaoyorozu's smile had faded quite a bit, replaced by a pensive and slightly downcast expression. She had a very pronounced sense of responsibility, so she was currently questioning her status as the Class Representative since Izuku was the one who took charge, both during and after the incident...
Adopting a friendly and reassuring smile, Izuku calmly asserted, "You're too hard on yourself, Yaoyorozu-san. However, the notion that 'we' could have handled things better is correct. Fortunately, we have three years to learn. After all, the main purpose of the Hero Course is to teach us how to assess, handle, and resolve situations as efficiently as possible. Expecting perfection before you've even become a Pro is insensible."
Though she was momentarily taken aback by Izuku's response, a smile invariably found its way to Yaoyorozu's face as she replied, "You're right, of course. I guess I just got a little ahead of myself. Thanks for opening my eyes, Midoriya-kun. I greatly appreciate it."
Shaking his head, Izuku asserted, "While I appreciate your gratitude, it's unwarranted. After all, didn't we promise on the first day to look after and inform each other if there was something we could do to improve? I'm just keeping my end of the bargain. To that end, if you witness me making any mistakes, I expect you to do the same."
Recalling that they had, in fact, made such a promise, the faint smile on Yaoyorozu's face blossomed. Her words during their initial meeting were primarily intended as pleasantries, so it was strangely 'refreshing' to learn that Izuku regarded the exchange with such consideration. It was difficult to describe, but it made her feel uniquely 'floaty'...
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With the first half of the day passing surprisingly quickly, Izuku was on tenterhooks as he awaited Aizawa's arrival and the announcement they would be conducting Rescue Training at USJ. Fortunately, just as Sero was about to ask why he was so nervous, the door to the classroom slid open with a distinct 'vigor,' followed by a familiar voice exclaiming, "I AM HERE...!"
Seeing All Might appear in place of Aizawa, relief washed over Izuku like a warm shower. In the canon, Aizawa was the one to inform them of their Foundational Heroics Training. All Might had overexerted himself rescuing people on his way to school, so he was in the midst of recuperating when Class 1-A set out for USJ. Now, either as a result of Izuku's warning or the fact that All Might had yet to pass on One-for-All, the undisputed #1 Hero would be participating from the very beginning...
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(A/N: Shigaraki might want to run xD...)
